18 thoughts on “The Joy of Freedom”

Very cute!
The dismal outdoors environment that the chimps were so excited about reminds me of an excellent book I am reading about the worrying effects being experienced by children who are denied exposure to nature – through being over-protected, over-regulated and perhaps over-exposed to electronic media that engage only two of their senses . They know about the natural world through the internet and with their intellect but do not actually experience it with all of their senses; do not experience it truly, in all of its messiness, richness and diversity and are therefore denied all of the amazing learning experiences that nature has provided for children in the past. ie. they are like the chimps in the dark play room.
Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder. by Richard Louv.

This isn’t really a blog for kids, and I’m afraid to say I don’t really know of any good Buddhist resources for children on the web. Any idea, anyone?

I’m happy to start a thread on any relevant issue you might be interested in, or to answer questions from kids. But if they’re looking for something more focussed and relevant this might not be the best place…

I have had a quick look and they look good, still trying to download though.

Hopefully some of the younger people who have been learning Buddhism for a while will be able to write their own books too, would love to read some Dhamma books by younger people, they know so much more than adults these days and we can learn so much from them.

Now that is a fantastic idea. Kids have a lot of wisdom in them, how do we bring it out?

Sometimes I have families here at Santi, and they ask, ‘How do we teach our children Buddhist virtues?’ I just ask the kids, ‘Is killing right or wrong’. And they say, ‘It’s wrong’. So I ask why, and they say, ‘Because it’s cruel to hurt another being’. Then I say to the parents, ‘What are you worried about? They already know Buddhist virtues!’

Do you then agree that we should go around, worshipping, obeying and being subserviant to children, as Tibetan Buddhists enforce or try to enforce onto their buddhist followers?

Should we really just be listening to children who have been ordained or enlightened say at 7 – 8 rather than you.

I mean what is the point of knowledge, learning, concepts when one can simply follow an enlightened child around looking after them….isn’t that also a way to enlightenment?

You see in many Tibetan Centres the Abbots or leaders are sometimes as young as 20 because of their post karma they are the Diirectors bosses etc and everyone just acts like their servants and slaves..all they do are ceremonies and prayers etc then just bow and scape to these young people and do what they are ordered by these young kids.. men women their 40’s and 50’s literally running after and being obedient to these kids some even younger than 20.

Do these people get enlightened by doing this?

Why then do we need knowledge of any kind, study, learning etc…. is it not a waste of time?

Now a days usually Tibetan monestries are full of very young children, it seems the Tibetans get them young so they can train them and put them in as the abbots of the monestries.

Tibetan Buddhism is growing especially in the West

Is this therefore the end of knowledge, learning and independance, they like to call it interdependence but really it is enforced subserviance.

With so many young kids already with more authority than any one born after them can hope to gain in a life time – does this just mean buddhism is now or will become a type of “service” industry to the “teenagers” that the Tibetans have been secretly ordaining and empowering for many years now.

That is will all people ordained after these kids (some as young as 5) only have the choice in Buddhism of service to the young as a way to embark on Buddhism.

The way it is going it seems that anyone over say 20 wanting to follow Buddhism it will mean a life of service ie cooking and cleaning and obeying those who are in their teens.

Sounds about as interesting and motivating as a game of bingo but you seem to be agreeing with this.

“Lost Buddha – Story of Venerable Sister Yeshe Chodron” you seem to support Tibetan Buddhists you help with this girls video called “Lost Buddha” – Story of Venerable Sister Yeshe Chodron… so I am just curious – i thought the Buddha was the Buddha but apparently we are all mistaken, you are mistaken, from NSW is apparently the Buddha?.

So you and the other theravardin Buddhist are all wrong about the Suttas and actually this is The Buddha?

Is that right? this is pretty big news isn’t it I haven’t seen it broadcast on TV or anywhere I would have thought that if you had found the next Buddha Bhante Sujato you would have told people about it …what about Ajahn Brahm and Bhikkhu Sujato do they know you have found the next Buddha?

And what an inspirational story … a girl father dies and she goes to India and finds Buddhism… I mean I am dumbfounded.. trulely that is such a rare story… I mean she must be the only one the the universe to have had a parent die and go on a spiritual journey.

So when were you planning to let us all know you had found the next Buddha?

Awesome!! Thanks for the share! I already knew that elephants could paint, but I always assumed all they could do was “abstract” art. That never impressed me much because even I can do that, but I couldn’t do a painting as good as the elephant in this video did, even if I were rewarded with lots of peanuts. :D

These chimps have been tortured in a lab for many years. As buddhists we should be against all animal testing. No happiness can come from inflicting suffering, this is the law of kamma.

In honor of these chimps i recite:

Whatever living beings there may be — feeble or strong (or the seekers and the attained) long, stout, or of medium size, short, small, large, those seen or those unseen, those dwelling far or near, those who are born as well as those yet to be born — may all beings have happy minds.